Catheter device



April 22, 1958 M. A. TAFlLAW CATHETER DEVICE Filed Dec. 3, 1954 IN V EN TOR. 7Z6 d/z/(m/ z Ja 7274a! Uni CATHETER DEVICE Maxine A. Tafilaw, Chicago, Ill. Application December 3, 1954, Serial No. 472,969 8 Claims. (Cl. 128-350) of purposes simultaneously or alternately. Heretofore it has been the general practice to hold such catheters in place by the use of adhesive tape.

Adhesive tape has been used for holding nasal catheters in place only because of its ubiquitous presence in the field of medicine, and due to the lack of anything better. It has not been entirely satisfactory. Adhesive tape left on the skin for protracted periods is uncomfortable, and often causes itching, skin deterioration, or various kinds of dermatitis. It is uncomfortable to remove adhesive tape from the skin. Furthermore, the adhesive tape cannot be removed rapidly, and it will be appreciated that there are occasions when nasal catheters must be removed with extreme rapidity for any of a variety of reasons. In addition, major portions of nasal catheters held in place by adhesive tape are exposed, and a semi-conscious patient is likely to feel irritated and to pull away the catheter by grabbing the exposed sections thereof. Serious and often fatal consequences can result from this.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide .a new and improved device for holding nasal catheters in place.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a device for holding nasal catheters in place which does not leave any dangerous sections of a catheter exposed for grabbing by the patient, and yet which is readily removed when necessary.

A further object of this invention is to provide a molded device of plastic or rubber-like material fitting over the nose for holding one or more nasal catheters in place.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for holding nasal catheters in place which has no deleterious effects on the skin, and which allows breathing of the skin.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side view of my device as applied to a patient;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device as taken substantially along the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the device near the upper end thereof as taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken through the device near the lower end thereof substantially along the line 55 in Fig. 3.

States Patent 0 Referring now in greater particularity to the drawings, there will be seen a patient 10 lying in a bed 12 such as in a hospital or the like.- There is provided a pair of nasal catheters respectively identified by the numerals 14 and 16. For illustrative purposes the catheter 14 is shown as leading to an oxygen tank 18 for supplying oxygen to the patient, and the catheter 16 is shown as leading to a receptacle 20 for supplying nourishment into the patient.

The nasal catheters are held in place by a device or shield 22 fitting over the patients nose. The shield 22 preferably is molded of a flexible material, and polyethylene plastic is considered to be a superior material forthis purpose. The shield is provided with a generally bulbous body portion 24 adapted to fit over the nose 26 of the patient, and with a tapering neck portion 28 adapted to fit up along the forehead of the patient, extending between the eyes. The shield is generally'formed into a relatively thin sheet having the edges curled slightly outwardly, as is illustrated at 30 for'flexibility of the device and for preventing irritation of the patient at the edge of the device.

The device or shield is provided from its top edge to a position near the bottom edge with a pair of longitudinally oriented channels 32 and 34 along the undersurface or underside therof. These channels preferably are integral with the remainder of the shield and are generally in the form of tubes having a longitudinal split 36 therealong. By virtue of the flexibility of the channels and the split 36, the nasal catheters 14 and 16 are readily slipped into them and resiliently gripped thereby, and this can be done either before or after the nasal catheters are applied to the patient, extending into the passages of the nose.

The shield is provided in the body portion thereof with a pair of slots 38 adjacent the opposite edges of madevice. Hook-like metal tips 40 on an elastic band 42 detachably fit into these slots. The elastic band extends around the patients head over his ears, and an adjusting device 44 may be provided on the elastic band to compensate for marked variations in individual headsize.

In addition to the slots for attachment for the elastic retaining member, the shield is provided on each side or flank thereof with a plurality of ventilating slots 44, there being three such slots illustrated on each side. These slots allow air to circulate under the device to prevent undue perspiration and irritation of the skin.

It is contemplated that the device or shield heretofore shown and described might be constructed in a plurality of different sizes, such as for children and adults. However, a single size will generally suflice for substantially all adults, and as a specific illustrative example the overall length of the shield is 5 /8 inches, the depth is 1 /4 inches, and the width is 2 /8 inches. The elastic strip preferably is'a A inch strip and the metal tips thereon fit into A; inch slots. The restricted or tapering neck portion is approximately 3 inches long, and the outwardly turned or flared sides are designed to contact the skin over a strip approximately /2 inch wide at the point of maximum width which is along the sides of the body portion.

It will be apparent that the shield which I now have shown and described is comfortable for the patient due to its small size, small area of contact with the patient, due to its ventilation, and due to its soft and pliable construction. It will save time and trouble for a doctor or a nurse, and the restricted or tapering neck portion holds the tubing out of the reach of a semi-conscious patient who might otherwise pull the nasal catheters from place. Although I have shown two nasal catheters as held by my shield, it is apparent that only one could be held by the shield if desired, the other channel being left vacant, or that the shield could be constructed with only one channel, or with a plurality of channels greater than two.

The shield is sanitary and readily can be cleaned in any suitable antiseptic cleanser such as bichloride of mercury.

The specific embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is to be understood as being for illustrative purposes only. Various structural changes therein will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art, and are to be understood as forming a part of the invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1, The combination comprising a nasal catheter and a device for holding said nasal catheter in proper position comprising a body shaped generally to conform to the nose of a patient and having an upper edge in the vicinity of the forehead, and means adapted for holding said body over the nose of a patient, said body having means extending from adjacent said upper edge to a position remote therefrom and holding said nasal catheter to said body at least coextensive therewith.

2. A device for holding a nasal catheter in proper position comprising a body shaped generally to conform to the nose of a patient, means adapted for holding said body over the nose of a patient, and an open edged channel extending along the underside of said body for detachably receiving a nasal catheter.

3. A device for holding a nasal catheter as set forth in claim 2 wherein the channel is flexible and is provided at its outer edges with a narrower opening than the maximum internal dimension thereof whereby resiliently to grip and retain a nasal catheter.

4. A device for holding a nasal catheter in proper position comprising a flexible body shaped generally to conform to the nose of a patient, means adapted for holding said body over the nose of a patient, and an open edged flexible channel along the undersurface of said body for detachably holding a nasal catheter to said body.

5. A device for holding a nasal catheter in proper position comprising a body shaped generally to conform to the nose of a patient, an elongated extension from said body adapted to lie along the forehead of a patient, means adapted for holding said body over the nose of a patient, and means on the underside of said body and extending through said elongated extension for holding a nasal catheter longitudinally along the underside of said device.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the means for holding the catheter to the device comprises an open edged channel.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 wherein the channel is flexible.

8. A device for holding a nasal catheter in proper position comprising a molded body portion of flexible material, said body portion having a shape generally conforming to that of a patients nose but somewhat larger than the normal size of a nose for spacing therefrom, ventilation openings being provided in said body, an elongated extension molded integral with said body and of the same flexible material, said extension being adapted to lie along a patients forehead, open sided integral channel means'of the same flexible material molded along the undersurface of said body and extension for detachably holding a nasal catheter to said body and extension and oriented longitudinally thereof, said channel means extending substantially from end to end of said device and means adapted for attaching said device in operative position over a patients nose.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,206,045 Smith Nov. 28, 1916 1,610,793 Kaufman Dec. 14, 1926 2,290,885 Lehmberg July 28, 1942 2,457,044 Hower Dec. 21, 1948 2,468,383 Tiflany Apr. 26, 1949 2,663,297 Turnberg Dec. 22, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 492,723 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1938 

